


heart of glass

by collieflower



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Meetings, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, let's see where this goes, the morally gray issue of what happens when someone treats you right for the first time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:33:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28092453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collieflower/pseuds/collieflower
Summary: Kuroo scoffed. "You sure don't look like trouble, Mr. Tired Glasses.""Akaashi. It's Akaashi Keiji. And if anyone should know about trouble it's you, Mr. Pain In The Ass."Floundering, Kuroo pressed his palm to his heart. It seemed to be becoming a habit recently. People just loved to give him what-for out of the blue. He dipped his head back, but came back with one of those sharp grins Kenma whacks him over the head for. "It's pronounced Kuroo, actually." Akaashi snorted, and it was so fucking undignified, Kuroo laughed along. "And what, may I ask, have I done to earn that name this time?""This time?" Akaashi parroted, eyeing him. "Is that where you put in a line about past lives?"Kuroo shook his head. "No, people just love to call me a pain in the ass.""I bet.""Hey now."
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 11
Kudos: 50





	heart of glass

**Author's Note:**

> this is a little different than what i usually write! i'll admit it's not finished yet. i don't plan on writing any explicit cheating aspects, but that's a gray issue as to what the fuck constitutes as cheating. therefore!! you've been warned. idk where this is headed, so we will both be surprised :)
> 
> title _is_ in fact from blondie's heart of glass, but the miley cyrus cover of it. That's all I've been listening to while writing this, and yanno what, maybe that explains something

The first time Kuroo saw him, it was after-dark. The rain from that evening slicked the streets, making the streetlights’ reflections ball up and reflect like a mirror. The neon sign of the laundromat on the corner washed a delicate pink light over him like some kind of ethereal angel that had too much ambrosia before his journey. Now he stumbled among the mortals, pinging this way and that, waiting for someone to offer their service.

Who was Kuroo, if not a humble servant?

The wind that carried the rain clouds away was still blowing, albeit gentler and a little less wet now. He still looked like he was going to tip over with the next gentle breeze.

See, it was out of concern that Kuroo called out to him. He'd been gathering soiled dishes from the tables, watching this man for perhaps a moment too long. He hadn’t been yelled at yet, though, so he could only assume that seeing such a person screwed with his time perception. He’d take it. He hefted the tub over his hip and curled a hand beside his mouth. "Hey!"

Either the man didn't hear him, or he was being ignored. Kuroo frowned, watching him step out of line again. Jesus, seriously. He was gonna fall down a drainpipe at this point. "Hey, dude in the coat! And, ah, glasses!" He smiled, seeing the guy pause, scanning the road until he caught sight of Kuroo. He made a face like a sour candy had been pushed down his throat, and pointed to himself. "Yeah, you there."

Now…  _ bumbling  _ was a poor word to describe the actual heavenly spirit that deigned to pay Kuroo a visit. Poor, but Kuroo'd be damned if it wasn't accurate. Kuroo watched as he fidgeted with his fingers, delving into his pockets to take hold of his keys. He held them so tight they didn't even jingle.

"Yes?" he asked, voice smooth despite the tired fluttering of his eyelashes.

Kuroo narrowed his eyes at him, trying to put every ounce of his old man into his posture that he could. "You're out here shaking like a leaf, glasses! Sit down, I'll get you something to eat."

"Oh, no thank you—"

"Come on," Kuroo prodded. "You're gonna collapse before you get where you're going. My treat. My poor old conscious couldn't take seeing someone off without doing all I could." He lifted the tub of dishes off his hip, showing them to the other man. "Let me toss these in the water, and I'll get you a bowl, huh?"

Wearily, the man looked him up and down before nodding. He slid into a chair closest to their set up. From the second he sat down, he slouched down, all but melting into the unforgiving hard plastic. Kuroo could practically feel the sigh of relief from his bones.

He looked tired, but he watched Kuroo like a hawk as he put his dishes away and went to prepare a portion for him. Kuroo could feel the attention pricking up the back of his neck, making his already disastrous hair stand on its end. The only time he looked away was when he glanced at his phone for a few minutes, tapping furiously.

Yaku shot him a look from his station over the stove and narrowed his eyes. "No fucking around," he warned when Kuroo stepped over for the crab. "I'm not closing up alone again."

Kuroo clutched at his heart with one hand, shook the bowl towards Yaku with the other. "When have I ever fucked around, huh? You think I can't do a nice thing for a needy soul?"

"I have a list," Yaku deadpanned. "It's three times as tall as Lev."

"You  _ wound  _ me," he intoned. "Come on, don't be so stingy." He shook the bowl, halfway-ready to grab the spatula and give Mr. Exhausted Glasses a heaping serving, even if he had to stack it himself.

Yaku glared at him. "He didn't pay for extra crab."

"No but I did."

_ "Kuroo—,"  _ he hissed. See, when Yaku poised to give a lecture, he wasn't looking at his hands. It was all too easy for Kuroo to nab the spatula and scoop more crab into the bowl.

He grinned, dipping in smack a wet kiss against Yaku’s cheek. "Thanks, Mori!" he cheered, turning completely to go back out to the newcomer.

It was a miracle Yaku didn't yell after him. Or throw the spatula at the back of his head. Instead he was able to deliver the stranger his food in complete safety. He slid the bowl and the utensils in front of him before plopping himself right down in the seat across.

Slowly, he let go of his keys and took up the bowl and chopsticks instead. "It's delicious," he muttered through a mouthful. Kuroo decided that it shouldn't be half as endearing as it turned out to be. "Thank you."

Kuroo waved him off. "Any time, seriously. What are you doing out so late, anyway? You look like you're halfway to the land of the dead."

"Coming home," he answered. He took the time to chew and swallow this time, but another bite quickly followed. "Friend's expecting me."

Kuroo hummed, nodding. "Good to know somebody's looking out for you."

This quirked his mouth up, but the smile lacked warmth or any mischievous intent. "I'm sure my friend would agree."

With a lifted eyebrow, Kuroo leaned forward and his elbows propped up on the table between them. "There's a story there." A needless question. A probe, more than anything.

The stranger nodded tiredly. "I'm on the way home from my boyfriend's."

"Boyfriend?" He pulled away, nose wrinkling. Eyes were sharp on him, gauging his reaction. Kuroo simply plowed right on. "You telling me he let you go home in this kinda state? Why didn't you just spend the night? Couples do that kind of thing, right? Or are you one of those  _ never before marriage  _ types?"

And  _ theeerreee  _ was a genuine smile. Pretty, the kind that made the corner of his eyes crinkle. He was going to have beautiful crow's feet someday.

"I'm not," he insisted, like the notion was funny all on its own. And hey, yanno what, good to know. "He has an early day tomorrow. Doesn't need the trouble."

Kuroo scoffed. "You sure don't look like trouble, Mr. Tired Glasses."

The man lifted a critical brow, and suddenly Kuroo felt like he was the one slouched at this cheap table. Turns out he had done absolutely nothing wrong, however, because he was awarded with the name of the heavens. "Akaashi. It's Akaashi Keiji. And if anyone should know about trouble it's you, Mr. Pain In The Ass."

Floundering, Kuroo pressed his palm to his heart. It seemed to be becoming a habit recently. People just loved to give him what-for out of the blue. Completely unbidden and unwarranted, didn't they? He dipped his head back, but came back with one of those sharp grins Kenma whacks him over the head for. "It's pronounced Kuroo, actually." Akaashi snorted, and it was so fucking undignified, Kuroo laughed along. "And what, may I ask, have I done to earn that name this time?"

"This time?" Akaashi parroted, eyeing him. "Is that where you put in a line about past lives?"

Kuroo shook his head. "No, people just love to call me a pain in the ass."

"I bet."

"Hey now."

"You're pushy." He picked up a bite and lifted it, as if that proved every point. "Your co-worker seems to agree with me, too."

Yaku made some noise from the counter. Kuroo paid him no mind, just waved a hand over his shoulder in acknowledgement.

"Maybe a little pain in the ass," Kuroo relented. "But I've heard it's endearing."

"Oh, have you?"

Yaku, God bless him, took the opportunity to barge in on the tender moment. He leaned out to catch Kuroo's eyes, hand slapped up on the support beam. "It's only endearing if you're cute, Kuroo. That's why it works on Kenma, and not you. Fuck, even little Hinata does better."

Snorting, Kuroo leveled him with a playful glare. "Little Sunshine is taller than you, now, you know."

The spatula's trajectory towards Kuroo's head was deadly and quick. The curse Kuroo hissed out was  _ not  _ for polite company, but it got Akaashi laughing, and that's all that fucking counted. And maybe Yaku got to let out some steam. Good for him too, of course. Kuroo bent over backwards, nearly falling out of his chair to retrieve the spatula and chuck it back towards Yaku's waiting hand.

The little asshole caught it in one.

_ Now  _ Kuroo was the one slumped in his chair, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head.

Akaashi looked a little more awake than before. Kuroo was ready to send up a prayer of thanks. Maybe he’d tack on a request that Akaashi didn’t choke with how adamant he seemed about inhaling his food.

"Seriously though," Kuroo started when he saw an opening. "I saw you walking, you couldn't even go a straight line. What if somebody jumped you or something? Or, you could have just passed out. Fuck, you're probably already half way to catching a cold."

Akaashi shrugged a shoulder and pushed his bowl away empty. "You're very concerned for the wellbeing of a stranger, Kuroo, very noble of you." He smiled, something about it rueful. "I can take care of myself, though. No need to..." His eyes rolled around, searching for examples, "offer to drive me home, or anything. I'm perfectly capable."

"Yeah, well even if I wanted to, I couldn't." He stood, picking up Akaashi's bowl.  _ "I  _ am here until two."

Akaashi looked at his watch and grimaced. “Sounds tough.” Yeah. Kuroo felt that big time. He had three more hours hanging around here, waiting with Yaku for the crowds coming out of the bars at last call. It was their best time of night and their regulars would throw a fit if they closed down early.

"I manage. But hey, let me call you that cab."

"I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's a good thing you're not asking then, huh?" Kuroo nodded towards him, looking him up and down. "Sure you look alert right now, but what about down the block? Or three streets over?"

"That..." He puffed out his cheeks before sighing. "That would be very kind of you, Kuroo." There was red in his cheeks, and Kuroo smiled so wide he was pretty sure he was gonna have to do some acupuncture magic to be able to get his face back to normal again.

He took his phone out of his pocket and easily navigated to the cab service’s number. It was lucky that the cabs were even still running when he'd caught Akaashi, really. "Glad to be of service," he told Akaashi as the line rang. He went to dump Akaashi's bowl in the dish tub, giving any details necessary over the phone.

It wasn't long before the cab came to collect Akaashi.

Who, Kuroo noted, once Akaashi got still he got sleepy all over again. His movements went all sluggish, and he became a whole lot less snarky in his conversation.

He had earbuds in now, speaking with a friend as he waited. Kuroo hoped that they'd talk until Akaashi was home safe.

Before he climbed into the cab, Kuroo called out to him, waving a hand. Akaashi turned, an earbud plucked from his ear, giving Kuroo his full attention. He couldn’t help the way he shuddered under his calculating eyes. Still. Kuroo smiled, waved goodbye. "Get home safe!" he said, sounding exactly like his old man, "I'll send a prayer out for you!"

Akaashi offered him little more than a smile and a returning wave before climbing in, shutting the door behind him.

Like a schoolgirl, Kuroo melted against one of the stall's support beams as he watched the cab disappear down the street. "He was beautiful," he told Yaku over his shoulder.

Kuroo wasn't sure how Yaku made his eyerolls audible these days, but they were very effective. "That's nice, Kuroo," he snorted, "come wash these dishes, the rush will be in soon."

**Author's Note:**

> come bully me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/bardicyearning), i probably deserve it


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